ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Wednesday recommended to the National Assembly to pass a law requiring fresh polling in a constituency if less than 10pc of the registered female voters cast their vote in an election.

Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs proposed the step after the Secretary of the Election Commission told them in a briefing that some of the political parties were not ready to declare 10pc votes of women mandatory for announcing the election result.

“Instead, they hold the view that the result should be announced if 10pc of the overall voters registered in a constituency have polled their votes,” he said.

MNA suggests election in any constituency be declared null and void if less than 10pc women cast votes

It is no secret that contesting political parties often agree to bar women from casting their votes in a constituency. Voices raised against the pernicious practice gave birth to the proposal that the result of an election should not be announced if less than 10pc female voters of the constituency exercised their right to vote.

MNA Dr Azra Fazal said that women should be involved in the electoral process as only that is how true representation will reach in the assemblies.

“I suggest that the result of the election in any constituency should be declared null and void if less than 10pc female voters cast their votes,” she said.

Chairman committee Mian Abdul Mannan praised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for initiating the scrutiny of the income tax returns of parliamentarians.

“I have received a notice from ECP and I have submitted full details,” he said.

Secretary ECP observed that people ask why ECP is not performing as well as Indian Election Commission.

“We in the ECP are paid less than the employees in other government departments,” he said. “Only two ECP offices in the whole country are owned by the ECP, the rest are rented buildings.”

The committee chairman said he would propose to the authorities to increase the budget of ECP by “five times”.

MNA Nafeesa Khattak noted during the discussion that the facilities provided to the parliamentarians in Pakistan vastly differ from those enjoyed by the parliamentarians in Germany.

“Everything is systematic in Germany. Here in Pakistan we can’t even get required data on CDs and USBs,” she lamented.

MNA Malik Ihtebar Khan, echoing her added: “German MPs can engage researchers to collect information. Here we can’t hope to have access to a typewriter to write a letter.”

Ms Khattak, like Malik Ihtebar, Noman Wazir and others, was part of a parliamentary delegation which visited Germany recently.

“We were impressed with the facilities provided to German parliamentarians. They had researchers for all issues. Every standing committee had its separate committee room. Here, our committee often has to wait for a room to hold a meeting,” she said talking to Dawn.

Most importantly, German parliamentarians are deputed to each ministry to observe its performance. “That would be only a dream here.”

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2017